Leeds review sets out terms of reference for investigation
Independent review into Leeds maternity and neonatal care sets out terms of reference for investigation.
- Review to examine the care women, babies and families received at Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust
- It follows repeated maternity failures at one of the largest teaching hospitals in Europe
- The publication comes after Donna Ockenden was appointed to chair the independent review
Women and babies who were harmed while in the care of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (LTHT) will have their experiences placed at the heart of an independent review.
Following extensive feedback from families, the Terms of Reference for the independent review into Maternity and Neonatal Services at LTHT have been published.
The document, reviewed by some of England’s top maternity and neonatal clinicians, sets out how individual cases will be examined. Clinical case reviews are due to begin in November.
The review is expected to conclude by 2029, and will cover the delivery of maternity and neonatal care from 1 January 2011 through until 31 March 2028, where mothers and babies have suffered severe harm or death while under the care of LTHT. This includes the review of stillbirths, maternal deaths, including by suicide, and some babies admitted to the neonatal unit.
The review will identify concerns in maternity and neonatal care at the trust and make recommendations to improve safety, quality and equity. Families affected have shaped the Terms of Reference through detailed feedback, ensuring their views and experiences are reflected throughout the review. They will continue to be closely involved as the review progresses.
Minister for Women’s Health and Maternity, Baroness Merron said:
My thoughts are with every family whose baby died or who experienced devastating harm while receiving care in Leeds. Their determination has brought us to this important point, and we owe it to them to listen and to establish the truth.
This independent review has been shaped by families themselves. Under Donna Ockenden, it will examine what happened, identify where care failed and make clear recommendations to help prevent other families suffering in the same way.
Every woman and baby deserves safe, compassionate maternity care. We are determined to improve standards in Leeds and across the country.
Michelle Welsh MP, the Government’s Maternity and Neonatal Adviser, said:
Families have fought for answers for far too long, and today marks an important step towards understanding what happened to women, babies and families receiving care at Leeds Teaching Hospitals.
Families must remain at the heart of this review. Their experiences, alongside the expertise of clinicians and frontline staff, must help us understand where care went wrong, what can be learned and, crucially, what needs to change.
We owe it to every family affected to make sure their voices are heard, their experiences are properly examined and that the lessons from this review lead to safer maternity and neonatal care for women and babies.
Donna Ockenden, review Chair, said:
Today is a pivotal day for families, staff and the community in relation to the progress of the Review. The Terms of Reference have been reviewed and written together in partnership with families to ensure that all voices that wish to participate are heard and represented.
In due course, the Review will begin to receive information from the Trust, families, and staff so that we are able to begin case reviews. Families and staff can expect to receive contact from the Review Team in the coming months.
On behalf of the Review Team and I, I would like to thank the families for their time and ongoing engagement to ensure that the Terms of Reference were inclusive and reflective of the populations’ needs. Your perspective and valuable feedback has helped shape the framework for the Review, and your voices will continue to be acknowledged, listened to and acted upon as the Review progresses.
The government is already taking strong action on maternity services, including investing £187 million since April last year to make maternity and neonatal services safer, extending Martha’s Rule to every ward so that patients and their families can have confidence that reports of deterioration will be acted on and hiring almost 2,000 more midwives. The government is committed to appointing England’s first statutory Maternity and Neonatal Commissioner to ensure the voices of women, babies and families are at the heart of national policy making.
The Health and Social Care Secretary is chairing a National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce and will develop an action plan by the end of the year.
Families said:
The Independent Maternity Review of the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust (LTHT) has marked a pivotal moment in its mission to deliver transparency, truth, and lasting change for families across the region.
It is a significant milestone for the Independent Maternity Review of the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust to publish its Terms of Reference.
A large number of Leeds families from very diverse backgrounds have contributed a wealth of time to help shape these Terms of Reference. Hopefully, this will allow as many people as possible, across a wide range of circumstances, to be included.
The agreed time period covered by the review is a major strength. This will allow the full tenures of previous CEOs of LTHT to be covered and scrutinised.
It is important to note that even if families do not meet the strict criteria, they will still be able to contribute under the “family experiences” chapter of the investigation. We encourage them to still reach out to the review; their experiences remain entirely valid.
We are pleased that Donna and the DHSC recognise the importance of so many voices being heard. This includes representing the voices of mothers who are no longer with us, having sadly died by suicide during pregnancy or up to one year post-birth, which remains the leading direct cause of maternal death in the late postnatal period.
Our hope is that a platform has been created that will allow as many people to be seen and heard as possible, ensuring the snowball of truth continues to grow alongside the necessary accountability that must follow.
We urge any family who has been affected by maternity care at Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust within the review period to come forward. Your voice matters, your experience is vital, and you will be listened to with the utmost compassion and confidentiality. You and your family mattered then, they matter now and they always will.